1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wall-mounted cabinet which includes a body and at least one linear actuator for lowering and raising the body.
2. The Prior Art
GB 2 061 700 to Don Joseph Anthony discloses a wall-mounted cabinet comprising a box open at the bottom with a shelf arrangement where the lower shelf constitutes a closure for the box. The shelf arrangement is in the sides guided by linear guides and can be raised and lowered by one linear actuator located inside the cabinet in the middle against the back plate. The actuator takes up a relatively large space in the cabinet and results at the same time in the cabinet not being particularly cleaning-friendly. When food or sanitary articles are stored in the cabinet, it is all together not particularly conductive to have an electro-mechanical arrangement inside the cabinet.
GB 1 433 004 to Michael John Hawker discloses a similar cabinet where the linear actuator is also mounted inside the cabinet. Different from the above, this cabinet has a front door in the nature of a sliding door which automatically opens upwards when the shelf arrangement is lowered. The opening of the sliding door is achieved due to a wire connected to the shelf arrangement. The structure thus requires a relatively large clearance above the cabinet.
DE 34 09 990 A1 to Hermann Dröge discloses brackets for top cabinets comprising a back plate intended for securing to a wall. The back plate is mounted with a spindle part and motor and further a guide at either side on which is mounted a plate for a top cabinet. When the motor is started, the top cabinet is raised and lowered. The construction takes up a relatively large space behind the cabinet, so that it must be positioned at a long distance from the wall.
A similar construction is known from DE 32 15 572 A1 to Hermann Dröge where a channel for the spindle is constructed in the back plate of the cabinet. For these constructions it is a fact that they are exposed to a large moment, which is transferred through the guides and the actuator. The moment is the weight of the cabinet multiplied by the lever arm, which approximately is half as long as the depth of the cabinet. Further, the construction may be exposed to a moment in the sideways direction if the cabinet is unequally loaded in the sides, which is quite common, e.g., a stack of heavy plates may be positioned in one side and perhaps a light bowl in the other side. Thus the cabinet will be exposed to a moment in the sideways direction, which can cause it to tip over.
DE 298 07 238 U1 Pro Reha discloses a bracket for top cabinets where the bracket comprises a steel plate at either end which are mutually connected with supporting profiles for the top cabinets. In either end of the bracket is a slanted linear actuator of the type disclosed in WO 96/12123 Dietmar Koch (OKIN). The top cabinets thus move in a slanted path out from the wall and downwards. The construction has the disadvantage that the actuators are mounted on a wall abutting the bracket.
The object of the invention is to avoid these drawbacks associated with such cabinets.